A new luminescence-based geochronology framing the last two glacial cycles at the southern limit of European Pleistocene loess in Stalać (Serbia)

Abstract

A new geochronology was established for the Stalać loess-paleosol sequence (LPS) in Serbia. The section is located in the interior of the Central Balkan region, south of the typical loess distribution, in a zone of paleoclimatic shifts between continental and Mediterranean climate regimes. The sampled sequence contains four well-developed paleosol and loess layers, a crypto tephra and one visible tephra layer. Optically stimulated luminescence measurements showed a strong dependency of preheat temperature on equivalent dose for one fine-grained quartz sample, which makes it unsuitable for dating. A firm chronology framing the last two glacial cycles was established using fine-grained polyminerals and the post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (pIR50IR290) protocol instead. The characteristics of dated paleosols indicate similar climatic conditions during the last interstadial and interglacial phases, which were different from the penultimate interglacial period. The tephra within the L2 loess, probably related to tephra layers also found in other sections in Southeastern Europe, was sandwich-dated. The results indicate an age between 118 ka and 141 ka. Furthermore, a weak pedogenic layer dated to between 126 ka and 148 ka gives a first numerical age to this soil formation in Southeastern Europe.